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Fancy Footwork An orthopedic surgeon-turned-BIZ Experiences proves to the world she can stand tall on her own.

By April Y. Pennington

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Vital Stats: Taryn Rose, 35,founder of Taryn Rose International Inc.

Company: High-end shoes forwomen and men that boast classic style and handcrafted comfort

Sales: $15 million projectedfor 2003

Woe My Feet! "I was aresident at USC School of Medicine, on my feet up to 14 hours aday. I had a hard time finding shoes attractive enough to go withmy wardrobe, but also comfortable enough to meet my functionalneeds. Also, I saw a lot of women who needed foot surgery becauseof tight footwear. I thought, 'I should see if there issomething out in the market.'"


"My philosophyon beauty is women shouldn't have to think about their feet.They should be thinking on their feet."

Say Again, Doc? "Myfamily was opposed [to my starting a business]. They're atraditional Asian family. They thought I was giving up prestige anda good income to take on a lot of risk. For me, that was exciting.That was how I wanted to live-to have a vision, build on thatvision and be proud."

More Talk, Less Ads: "Ifind editorial is more important than advertising because we wantto educate so people understand what we're all about, and youcan't do that with an ad."

Sole Searcher: "Itargeted a niche, the luxury market, with comfort as a philosophy.My customers are like myself-independent [people] who are incontrol of their lives. They're not victims anywhere, andthey're not going to be fashion victims."

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